


Children of the Reign

by The_knight_of_the_stars



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Steampunk, kind of anti bal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:49:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26884657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_knight_of_the_stars/pseuds/The_knight_of_the_stars
Summary: Welcome to my project: Re-imagine Descendants as I thougth it would be and trying to "fix" the major problems I see in the original movies.When different stories from different places reach their happy endings, something in the world clicked. The land of Auradon has born.By the god’s design, King Adam rules upon the land, he is determinate to make his kingdom the greatest that ever was. All the great villains are exiled to a forgotten place, the abandoned mined city of ghosts, deep on the mountains, locked without scape inside a magical barrier. Auradon flourish under the new reign, but the secrets can’t be kept for too long. In the Lost City, chaos rules over the people.After thirty years, King Adam has died, and his only heir Benjamin must ascend to the throne. His fist command: give freedom to the children born in the Lost City, a chance to live in Auradon for anyone who wants it. Evie, Mal, Jay and Carlos are the first ones to accept, but their arrival will change the fate of Auradon forever.And on the Lost City, a Pirate Queen will find her chance to take control.They are the new generation; it is time for their stories to be told.
Relationships: Aziz/Jay (Disney), Ben & Evie (Disney: Descendants), Ben/Harry Hook/Uma, Ben/Uma (Disney: Descendants), Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Evie/Jay (Disney), Gil/Uma (Disney: Descendants), Harry Hook/Uma, Jay/Uma (Disney)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Children of the Reign

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my alternative version of the francise that I have been working on since the first movie and I'm very excited to finally share it.   
> If you would like to know more about the worldbuilding of this, I made an a post on Tumblr abou it:  
> https://the-knight-of-the-stars.tumblr.com/post/631357325126598656/what-i-liked-the-most-about-the-descendants-fandom
> 
> Thanks for reading!

_This chapter´s song is: Willow three march -The paper kites_

The bells rang through the city in a thunderous echo that somehow remained gloomy. Crashing, crashing, as if they had no intention of stopping, they rang and made the pigeons fly in the squares, they woke up the inhabitants. The streets were still empty, with the morning light barely peeking over the horizon and the remains of the previous night being slightly lifted by the breeze. Torn strips of paper and black confetti that littered the avenues, ashes from the bonfires and torches that had lit for much of the night, half-burned incense sticks. The sun came out, slow and heavy, merchants woke up and began sweeping porches and setting up stalls. The bells ring, the collective uncertainty does not dissipate, the tension is heard with each bell. The king had died.

Ben sat, more still than he had ever been in his life, in his father's office chair. Eyes lost on the horizon, he gazed at the quiet rise of the sun over the mountains. The sun slowly bathed his still figure, until it covered his eyes, and yet he was unable to look away. He was a statue, whose world continued to move around him. He was floating in a strange and fuzzy dream. He felt unable to ever get up in his chair, to move again. Hours ago, Ben had cried, leaning over that same desk, but the tears had already dried on his face. The red rose had withered on his lapel.

He knew that he would inevitably have to get up, change his clothes, and face his mother's pained eyes. His messy hair fell over his face, and he wondered if the servants were already looking for him in his bedroom. He could hear the cathedral bells announcing dawn, the same bells that had awakened him every day for as long as he could remember. But this time it was different, they did not seem to announce a new day. No, now they heralded the beginning of an era.

Carlos rubbed his hands, still feeling cold from the icy night wind, grateful for the warmth that the sun brought. He flaunted wearily and rubbed his face to resist what was left of his turn. Carlos looked down at the small empty square, not a movement was perceived. He listened to the murmur of the wind, and the typical morning silence seemed to be the only thing present. He was sitting on a wooden box, high enough so that he could see over the walls of the watchtower. He was wrapped in one of his mother's old coats, made of showy jaguar fur, with long flared sleeves and feathers around the neck. It kept him warm but was light enough to allow him to move freely. He wore two pistols on his belt, a gold bracelet on his wrist. Carlos looked at the sky, deep blue, clear, hot. In the lost city, there were no clouds.

When the day guard finally arrived to relieve him, Carlos hurried down the stairs with enthusiasm, stretching his legs after sitting so many hours. His footsteps echoed in the cracked stone plaza that surrounded Maleficent's castle. He walked down the alleyway with a smile, there was still time before Mal woke and called them to start the tour. It seemed that it was a good day, the dirty streets and the abandoned houses with dirty windows were quiet and calm, only the lizards and the birds moved among the undergrowth that invaded the walls and cracked the ground. Carlos went out onto the avenue, where he saw empty bottles, broken glass, cigars, and pieces of wood. The trail of another mind-blowing Captain Hook party. One of the pirates was still lying on the ground, passed out in a pool of alcohol and urine, his clothes torn.

Carlos walked away to another set of alleys that led up the hill. The stairs narrowed, and Carlos slipped through the damp passageways until he came to a tall, narrow greenhouse, its facade eaten away by moisture and the door hidden under several layers of bars and locks. He took the keys out of his coat and padlocked until he could open the door, looking around to make sure no one had followed him.

He walked in shaking off his coat, daylight streaming into the house through the windows. Carlos smiled, discovering that the house smelled of food. He looked around, and at the back of the room, he saw Jay sitting on his gutted mattress, wearing one of Jafar's black robes, held up with a red belt, and his black hair tied back with one of Evie's silver clips. He was bend over the old pot and stir a stew. He raised his head to see Carlos.

"Hey! How was the night?" he asked, looking back at the food. Carlos dropped onto the mattress, removing the belt from which the pistols hung.

"Boring" he replied with a sigh "And very cold, I almost freeze my hands, I don't know how Maleficent expects me to shoot someone if I don't feel my damn fingers"

"Yeah no shit" Jay replied with a deep laugh "I heard one of the guards lost a foot last winter"

"What? Is that possible? "

" I don't know, is what I heard" Jay replied with a mocking smile, serving the stew on two wooden plates "Hey, but if you lose a foot you can ask Maleficent some spice as compensation, I would love a good lizard with pepper "

"Oh very funny" replied Carlos giving him a little tap on the shoulder. He looked at his plate, hungry "No meat today?"

"No" replied Jay, wrinkling his face "Captain Hook and his stupid party scared all the animals" Jay looked at his plate, stirring it with some resignation. _Maybe tomorrow_ he thought. Carlos nodded thanking him for the breakfast, too eager to put something hot in his mouth. A gust of wind whistled through the alleys, the sun was getting stronger, it was almost time to return to the square.

Boys! Wait for me! " Evie yelled, running toward them across the avenue.

Jay and Carlos stopped, and Evie launched into a hug with a smile. Jay put his arm around her shoulders in greeting.

"Morning Evie"

"Jay, you are wearing the brooch I gave you!" Evie exclaimed excitedly. Jay smiled, nodding "Oh Carlos, I also have something special for you, wait until I have it ready"

"Thanks," she said Carlos, looking at Evie top-down " ¿And ... what are you wearing?"

"Oh" she exclaimed with a proud smile, turning around so they could see her better "It's a hunting outfit"

Puffed sleeves, high neckline and embroidery, a cape that reached to the knees, stockings, and a pair of shorts. The fabrics were printed with hand-sewn flowers, colored stripes, and elegant pleats. Her hair was tied up in a braided bun with black feathers for decoration. Jay whistled, admiring the suit with a smile.

"Sweet" exclaimed Jay "You look great, Evie"

"Thanks, I copied it from one of my mother's paintings" Evie replied, with a smile from ear to ear "It came with a hat, but I didn't like it very much"

"You don't need the hat, you look beautiful like that," said Carlos as they started walking again.

Evie stepped between the two and grabbed his arms cheerfully. The streets remained empty, in the distance the murmur of some noisy gathering could be heard. Laughter, hoarse chants, and the noise of things being moved or thrown. The sun was shining, but a cool wind lessened the heat. Yes, it seemed like a good day. Realizing they were running late, they started running towards Maleficent's castle, pushing each other laughing. They came across a couple of people on the way, but there was no danger, no one dared to face them. They were Maleficent's protégés, and no one could touch them on her territory. Their abilities had brought them fame throughout the city, they were easy to recognize.

Carlos, the brain, the strategist, and excellent marksman, despite his noble heart and shy personality, people feared him, they walked away when they saw him walking around in his mother's ostentatious coats, armed with pistols and surrounded by the pack of wild dogs he had trained, and who now roamed the city, ready to obey him at any moment.

Evie, the princess of poison. Craftswoman, blacksmith, seamstress, and the head behind the sophisticated weapons of Maleficent's guard. Accurate, light swords were her specialty, but she was best known for her net traps, arrow-throwing machines, poison-injecting daggers, and self- throwing blowguns. Carlos was the technician, Evie was the one who brought it to reality. Charming and smiling, always armed to the teeth with knives hidden in her clothes.

Jay, the warrior. Strong, fast, loyal. The best fighter and the protector of the rest of the team. Jay took the hits, moved the heavy things, and got the supplies. An expert in weapons and hand-to-hand combat, he had mastered the art of enduring pain, being immune to poisons, and always falling on his feet, no matter the height. It was the muscle that made weapons come to life.

Their figures ran smiling down the street, basking in the sun and hugging each other with camaraderie. For a moment, each morning, they could be free and bright. It could be them, they could taste happiness. In the morning sunlight, the shadows couldn't touch them.

They finally reached Maleficent's castle, and the guards let them pass. In the front yard, a figure seated with arms awaited them. Dark lips, bright green eyes, pale face. Like every day, she wore the black armor that Evie had forged for her at her mother's orders, in her collected purple hair, she wore a tiara made of bones covered in gold. Mal, the heir to the West. The leader, the one who gave the orders and made sure no one was out of position. Capable, cunning, ambitious, her mother's judge, jury, and executioner. She punished traitors and dictated the laws. No news escaped her ears, calculating, and with too many allies, no one could fool her.

Mal smiled when she saw her friends.

"Hey guys" she greeted, inviting them to sit next to her "Ready to start the tour?"

"Sure, it will be a lot of fun visiting hot mines for seven hours a day for a week," Carlos said sarcastically, dropping his heavy backpack on the ground. They all sat in a circle, and Mal smiled, spreading a piece of skin down the middle, which was actually a hand-made map of much of the city, but there were blanks, the territories that didn't give belonged to Maleficent, and that her henchmen weren't able to cross.

"We will not go to the mines" Mal replied, biting her lip, not avoiding showing the emotion she felt.

"Oh thank the gods!" Jay exclaimed with a laugh " Where are we going?"

Mal looked at the map, and pointed to a place too far east, a point behind the dry mountains where even the most distant houses no longer dared to go. They all looked, letting out a collective sigh.

"We are going to the barrier"

Ben closed the conference room door, still hearing behind him the angry murmurs of some council members. Some were obviously offended, but luckily, he had enough lip to convince most. He sighed long, repeating to himself that he was doing the right thing. A hole had been installed in his chest. A door opened, and Belle came in, his eyes red from crying, and looked at his son, with an annoyed expression.

"I can't believe you are doing this," she said between tears "Have you no regard for your father's legacy?"

Ben swallowed hard, feeling like he was choking, but he stood his ground.

"My father's legacy is full of pain and injustice" he replied, with the most determined voice he could formulate, even with his lips trembling. "This decision is final"

His mother closed her eyes in pain, touching her chest, and turned her back on him, unable to keep looking at her son. The painful echo of loss spread between them, like waves. Ben watched his mother go away crying, and it seemed to him that he was again trapped in a dream that took his life out of him with nothing he could do. He swallowed, and rubbed his fingers anxiously, feeling that he was so tense his bones would break.

He forced himself to walk, hurrying through the corridors, not hearing the greetings of the knights and the bows of the servants. He walked into his room, suffocated by loss and fear, closed the door, and dropped to the floor. He closed his eyes and looked up at the terraced ceiling of his pristine room. Only his heart was pounding, he felt so tired.

 _I'm doing the right thing,_ he told himself for the last time.

Somewhat hesitant, but encouraged by the feeling that this was bigger than himself, Ben picked up the phone and dialed a number on the dial. He could feel his heart excited and fearful. On the other end of the line, a male voice answered.

"Your Majesty"

"Charles, they accepted ... You have authorization to bring them"

It had taken them all day to reach the last edge of the city, and when they did, a strange realization attacked them. The top of the mountain was cool and lonely. The wind roared much louder than in the city, stirring the yellow grass, the famified cacti, and the shrubs withered with thorns. The sun's heat fell harder, reddening their cheeks and burning their skin every time they clung to the rocks on the ground and continued walking. It was calmer, with the sounds of the wind and grass deafening his footsteps, his breaths. After a while it seemed that they were fulfilling some kind of ritual, just walking with exhaustion and nature, quiet, going up in line. When they finally reached the top, they stopped, breathing in the fresh air and sitting on the ground to rest for a moment.

They turned to look at the view, under their feet stretched the small valley surrounded by mountains and hills on which the city was built. Irregular, vaguely colorful, much larger than they had ever been aware of. It stretched out, magnificent and intricate, between labyrinths of houses and streets up the mountains and all the way down the valley, spreading over the ground as the brush spread over the ground. Even the sky seemed bigger, deeper, closer to them. The four of them sat still on the grass, unable to take their eyes off that place, which was the only thing they knew, but somehow, now they realized that they had never really met it, not like that, and from that top, with the wind blowing their hair, the sun reflecting off the white roofs of the houses and in the beautiful empty afternoon silence, the city looked beautiful. They had never been so far from the drunks, the screaming, the hunger of the children, the blood of the fights, the threats, and the dirt of the streets.

No one dared to say it, but they wanted to stay there forever, with the feeling of freedom, of greatness, of being insignificant, that the city was just a city. It was dusk, and the sky was filled with a honeyed orange, a blinding red, the comforting yellow. A particular dreamy light, golden and heavy, covered them.

"I ... never realized how big the city was," Mal whispered, moving closer to her friends, loosening her hair and setting aside the crown of bones. Vague words that hinted at that feeling that everyone struggled to understand. Evie settled herself better, lying sideways on the hill, silently agreeing with Mal's words.

Carlos took the supplies out of the bag and handed out a piece of dried cactus pulp to everyone.

"How long until we reach the barrier?" Jay asked as he pulled out a piece of cactus.

"About ten kilometers" Mal replied, consulting his map again "The last set of houses is a kilometer from here, it's empty, so it's safe to spend the night"

"Where are we exactly?" Evie asked, looking at the map above her shoulder "Whose territory is this?"

"Technically no one, but it is too close to my mother's barriers so no one occupies it" Mal replied. Carlos wrinkled his face thoughtfully.

"And still, Maleficent refuses to claim these lands. Do you know why?" Carlos said, looking at Mal with a raised eyebrow. Mal chastised her food, narrowing her eyes.

"She will never admit it, but I think she believes rumors a lot more than she wishes."

"What rumors?" Jay asked, walking over to his friends. They were sitting close together, looking for mutual warmth, the cold of the night was beginning to manifest itself.

"Oh! Are you talking about the supposed tunnel that leads to Hade's labyrinth? " Evie replied. Mal nodded in affirmation.

"And she still sent us? If Hades captures us we have no way to escape! " Carlos exclaimed in a worried voice. Mal lowered her gaze for a moment.

"Don't worry, Hades won't do anything to us" Mal said.

"And why wouldn't he? Everyone knows that we are loyal to the East" Jay exclaimed.

"Boys! Don't worry, I can protect you" Mal said with a carefree voice, smiling at them "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you "

"Sometimes you act like a narcissistic prat, did you know that?" Jay exclaimed with a smile. Mal tapped his head gently, feigning annoyance, and Evie laughed heartily.

The daylight was fading fast, the shadows were beginning to fall, and throughout the city, they saw the surveillance lights coming on from various points. In the old red mansion in the south, where the dirty pennants that looked like poker cards hung, the lamps of the castle of the Queen of Hearts were beginning to light up. More towards the center, a small area surrounded by walls made of destroyed furniture and rock began to light a couple of torches, and they managed to distinguish the figures of Lady Tremaine's henchmen guarding the Fortress. To the Southeast, they could barely see the fumes, fires, and colored lights that never seemed to go out in the carnival domains of Dr. Facilier.

The small territory of Jafar, far in the southwest, was lost from sight in the flat area of the city, as did the territory of Ursula, far from the houses, too far in the "natural" zone to distinguish anything. In the windy and dangerous north, where more animals roamed and darkness swallowed the mountains, Chernabog kept intruders away from his home, and further south, the Evil Queen's highlands were barely visible, dimly lit, and too far away to see the guards.

Evie looked sadly at her mother's castle in the distance, and a part of her couldn't help wondering what she was doing at this time of day, perhaps taking her beauty bath, getting ready to sleep. She looked away.

"It's already getting dark," she said softly to her companions "We should hurry so that the cold doesn't affect us so much"

Jay heard her voice, lower, and saw the dim light of Evil Queen's Castle ahead, throbbing like an old lighthouse. He walked over to her and let her rest her head on his shoulder. He avoided the temptation to look in the direction of the flat area.

"You're right" Mal replied, getting up and starting to put the foodstuff back in the bag "We should rest, and tomorrow will be a great day, come on, I'll carry the bag the rest of the way ..."

PUM PUM PUM! Mal came down from bruises to the ground, by a wave of rumblings that suddenly knocked them to the ground. The earth shook as if a giant were trying to get out of the ground. The four of them clung to the rocks and bushes as best they could, a terrible roar deafening them as if the planet was splitting in half at that precise moment. Jay shouted something to his friends, but the noise and chaos of the moment did not allow his friends to hear him, Evie clung to the rock where she had been sitting before so tightly that her fingers turned black, Carlos and Mal, holding on to the branches of the same bush, could only look at each other, completely terrified.

When the earthquake didn't stop, Evie began to feel panic creeping up her throat, not knowing how long she would be able to hold her ground. As he could, Jay tied the bag to his wrist and crawled over to Evie, covering her with his body, glancing at Mal and Carlos to make sure they were okay. Mal realized it, and answered yes with his head, stretching his arm for Carlos to take it.

A high-pitched beep echoed across the valley, and the earthquake stopped. Silence returned. With his heart still beating in his throat, Jay slowly pulled away from Evie, looking around. Evie opened her eyes and let go of the rock, she couldn't feel her fingers. Carlos got up cautiously, still a bit dizzy, and Mal took him by the shoulder so he wouldn't fall. "Is anyone hurt?" Mal asked, looking at his friends. They all nodded, still out of breath, they looked scared but not hurt.

"What the fuck was that?" Jay managed to ask.

“It… it was magic right? It had to be magic, ” Evie replied, still leaning on Jay's arm.

"Do you think it was Hades?" Mal asked in a trembling voice, looking fearfully at the mountains around her.

"Maybe ..." replied Carlos "Maybe he finally found a way to return to the underworld"

Before he could continue speaking, something caught Evie's attention. A premonition of being watched made her look back, toward the dirt road that led to the barrier. In the distance, a strange light shone. Her heart was pounding.

"Guys ..." she said in a breath of voice, pointing in the direction of the light. The other three looked dumbfounded. In the distance, a pair of lights flashed on and off in various colors. Red, off, Yellow, off, white, off, blue, off. They had never seen lights so bright, so intense and colorful. They throbbed, over and over from the dark. They hugged, terrified by that surreal vision.

They could feel each other's fearful and strong breathing. Shaking, Mal pulled out the map, and in the dim light, she struggled to recognize the direction they were in.

"We need to go" declared Carlos with a firm voice "Now"

"What is that light?" Evie asked getting up.

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out," Mal said, her voice shaking from the rush she felt "At least not now"

"You're right" replied Jay, carrying the bag on his back "We are too exposed at night"

"I can't read the damn map!" Mal exclaimed, crumpling the map in frustration. The darkness had reached them, so far from the city, the blackness of the night surrounded them, they could barely distinguish themselves in the darkness.

"Can't you try to create a fire?" Carlos asked covering himself with his coat, the nocturnal cold had also begun.

"I can't keep it for long," Mal confessed, hugging herself as the wind felt his skin crawl.

"You don't need to, just enough to light a torch" Evie replied, taking off her cape and wrapping it around a branch "Jay, give me the bottle of alcohol"

"We are not supposed to use it unless someone is hurt," said Jay, dubiously taking out the small bottle "It's the last bottle, it should last two months"

"Well, it doesn't seem like we have a choice now" Evie said, soaking a layer of alcohol over the torch "Come on Mal, your fire is magical, it will hold until we get to a shelter"

Mal let out a long breath, and looked fearfully at the mysterious twinkling lights. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, concentrating as her mother had taught her. In a flash, a small flame appeared on her hand.

"I did it!" she exclaimed with relief. Evie hurried to bring the torch closer, and thanks to the alcohol the cloth ignited rapidly. Jay held up the torch, while Evie and Mal went back to check the map. "There is a church half a kilometer away" declares Mal, pointing the way "We will spend the night there"

"Your Royal Highness, with all due respect, I don't think this is a very wise idea," exclaimed the man, his voice hoarse and deep, staring at the window of the ship with fear.

Charles Charming turned to look at him, keeping his face expressionless. "Is an order from the King" he replied simply, adjusting the edges of his armor "Are you defying his Majesty?"

The man backed away in scandal.

"Of course not, Your Royal Highness" he replied, clearing his throat. 

"Excellent," said Charles leaning out of the window. Through the glass, he could saw the lights of the legendary lost city in the distance. Even if he didn't show it, he was almost as nervous as the other crew members. One of the technicians came up behind him.

"Your Highness, we have fully landed, it is safe to go down"

"Thank you," said Charles, finally turning his head to see his crew, who waited at his orders with doubtful glances."No one goes down tonight, is too dangerous, Tomorrow we will enter the city"

The crew nodded silently. Charles raised his head, dreading, and longing for the dawn.

"Lets considerer ourselfs honored ..." he continued, looking at the city across the mountain "They are our new siblings, and we are here to take them home ..."

\-------------

_This chapter´s song is: Willow three march -The paper kites_


End file.
